Gavin Newsom has championed innovative public policies since entering office in 1997. As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, then as mayor of San Francisco, and now as Lieutenant Governor of California, Newsom has been a political visionary on issues of equality, the environment, homelessness, and healthcare.

As mayor of San Francisco, Newsom’s administration led the nation on environmental policies such as mandatory composting, plastic bag and Styrofoam bans, and a prohibition on city-purchased bottled water. Shortly after establishing the most stringent green building standards in America, San Francisco then achieved the nation’s highest rate of recycling and waste diversion.

For launching these groundbreaking programs, Newsom was selected in 2010 as the greenest mayor for a second year.

He balanced seven consecutive budgets on time during national economic instability without laying off a single teacher, police officer, or firefighter. He reduced the size of San Francisco’s government, maintained a healthy bond rating, and instituted a Rainy Day Fund to protect city services against future catastrophic cuts.

As Lt. Gov., Newsom continued his environmental work as a member of the State Lands Commission. Shortly after being elected Lt. Gov. in 2010, Newsom gathered the ideas of key stakeholders around the state to develop an economic growth and job creation strategy, ensuring that California remains one of the top 10 economies in the world.